The invention relates to a control device for a vehicle with an automatically closing hatch, with at least one operating switch for outputting a closing command to automatically close the hatch by way of at least one actuator, with a monitoring device for recognizing a blocking or jamming event during the closing procedure, and with a programmable electronic control unit which is connected to both the operating switch and the monitoring device.
Such a control device is known in the context of an automatically controllable rear hatch, for example from DE 10 2010 038 705 A1. A jamming protection device is provided here, which causes a halting or reversal of the rear hatch during the closing procedure when a jamming situation is recognized.
As prior art, reference is also made to the vehicles of the Applicant having a so-called “Automatic rear hatch activation” (see, for example, the operating instructions for the BMW 5-er Touring, Vol. 2014, Online Order No. 01 40 2 924 124, p. 39 et seq.).
In the “automatic rear hatch activation” known from the vehicles of the Applicant, the rear hatch basically closes by itself, for example when a button provided on the inside of the rear hatch is pressed. The automatic closing procedure is then terminated, in particular, when the engine is started or when driving in reverse, since these situations lead to the recognition of a possible jamming situation, which is verified by a jamming protection device.
The problem on which the invention is based is to further develop a control device for the automatic closing of a hatch in terms of a more secure closing procedure.
According to the invention, the problem is solved by a control device for a vehicle with an automatically closing hatch, with at least one operating switch for outputting a closing command to automatically close the hatch by way of at least one actuator, with a monitoring device for recognizing a blocking or jamming event during the closing procedure, and with a programmable electronic control unit which is connected to both the operating switch and the monitoring device and which detects the vehicle speed as an input signal. The monitoring device is designed such that a risk of jamming is recognizable by monitoring the current curve and/or the rotary speed curve of the actuator. The control unit is programmed in such a way as to only stop the closing procedure on recognition of a risk of jamming if the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined threshold.
The problem is also solved by a control device for a vehicle with an automatically closing hatch, with at least one operating switch for outputting a closing command to automatically close the hatch by way of at least one actuator, with a device for monitoring a jamming during the closing procedure, and with a programmable electronic control unit which is connected to both the operating switch and the monitoring device and which detects the vehicle speed as an input signal. The monitoring device is designed such that a risk of jamming is recognizable by monitoring the current curve and/or the rotary speed curve of the actuator. The control unit is programmed in such a way as to initially only react to the occurrence of comparatively large speed or current fluctuations by terminating the automatic closing procedure, for a certain time window and/or for a given distance covered by the rear hatch, if the vehicle speed is above a predetermined threshold.
The invention is based on the following ideas.
Present-day vehicles with automatically closing rear hatches generally have several control logics in the control system for recognition of blocking or jamming events. These are essentially monitors of the rotary speed of the actuators and/or the electric current required by the actuators and/or the monitor of changes in these values over time (dn/dt or di/dt). By appropriately low trigger thresholds, the desired sensitive response in the event of a blocking or jamming can be achieved in the prior art in order to reduce the risk of injury or severity of injury to persons in the pivot zone of the rear hatch.
In order to achieve the most sensitive response possible for the blocking or jamming recognition, the trigger thresholds must be set relatively low. This, in turn, results in false-alarm blocking or jamming events in certain application situations, e.g., when driving the vehicle off or away or when driving over uneven ground, each time during an ongoing closing movement. The reason for this is that dynamics acting on the hatch (inertias or accelerations) when driving the vehicle off or when the road is uneven results in a transient change in the current uptake (di/dt) or transient fluctuations in rotary speed (dn/dt). As a result of such blocking event recognition, that means, for example, if the rise in current and/or the drop in rotary speed are beyond respectively defined threshold values, the actuators are halted or reversed. Thus, the closing procedure of the rear hatch is terminated. This may cause confusion and annoyance for the customer, since they must halt the vehicle and again initiate the closing procedure.
In order not to lose the desired sensitive response of the automatic rear hatch (a measure also applicable to other hatches, such as e.g. automatic sliding doors or side doors), according to the invention the information present anyway in the control system, such as the vehicle speed in particular, is intelligently interrelated as follows: by additional consideration of the vehicle speed, especially upon crossing a certain velocity threshold, the resulting fluctuation in rotary speed or current can be ignored, preferably at least for a certain time window and/or for a given distance of the rear hatch. In addition or alternatively, upon crossing a certain velocity threshold for a certain time window and/or for a given distance it can also respond initially only to larger rotary speed or current fluctuations than in the normal case, in order to switch the monitoring to a less sensitive state for a brief time.
The invention provides the advantage of preventing the erroneous termination of automatic closing procedures during the driving away of the vehicle and still with high quality of the blocking or jamming event recognition.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.